In the testing and development of field seeds, it is necessary to harvest seeds of a particular type or variety from a short row, and place the small quantity or batch of harvested seed in a bag for further processing. Rows of different type seeds are planted in parallel fashion. The rows may be from 2-20 feet long and each group of rows is typically separated by an alley wherein a further group or range of rows appears on the other side of the alley with the rows thereof being in alignment with the rows of the first group or range.
The present method for harvesting such test plots involves harvesting the length of the row or rows planted with a conventional plot combine, stopping the combine, collecting the seed harvested in a cloth type bag from a holding hopper in the combine, and then attaching an identification tag to the bag. As much as 80% of the seed so harvested must later be discarded because it may not rise to the standards of the seed being developed. However, the shortcomings of such seed cannot be determined at the time of harvest. Thus, a substantial amount of seed to be discarded goes through the packaging process.
It is therefore a principal object of this invention to automate and accelerate the harvesting and packaging of seed from seed plots.
It is a further object of this invention to be able to select the seed to be packaged after it is harvested and to package the seed to be saved and to discard the seed that does not meet the predetermined parameters of the seed.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a means of identifying each batch of seed packaged and to relate it to the specific row in the field from which the packaged seed was harvested.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a seed packaging device for combines which will permit a batch of seed to be placed in a plastic perforated bag and automatically thermally sealed and deposited in a suitable bin for further processing.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a packaging device for combines which will permit selected batches of seed to be packaged in bags taken from a continuous roll of bag portions which are sequentially fed to a seed filling station on the combine.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a seed packaging device for combines that will permit the packaged seed to be easily dried to a suitable moisture level by means of perforations in the plastic bags in which the seed is placed.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.